They climbed the remaining stairs to the roof, moving as fast as they could while the facility continued to tear itself apart around them. When they finally reached the top, Steve saw a sight that made him grin despite everything they'd been through.
Azzuri stood at the center of a group of freed prisoners, his Black Panther armor gleaming in the firelight. Next to him, Logan was helping support a wounded soldier while Ted Knight worked on some kind of communication device. Ted Grant had his arms crossed, watching the destruction below with obvious satisfaction.
Sergeant Rock spotted them first. "Well, I'll be damned. Rogers! Thought you bought it down there."
"Not yet," Steve called back, jogging over with Bucky and Peter. "Everyone make it out?"
"Most of 'em," Rock said, then gestured to the group around them. "Your friend here," he nodded toward Azzuri, "pulled our asses out of the fire. Literally."
Azzuri removed his panther mask, revealing his face for the first time to the liberated soldiers. Several of them stared in surprise, but Rock just nodded with respect.
"King of Wakanda," Azzuri said simply, extending his hand to Steve. "Your friends are brave men, Captain Rogers. It was an honor fighting alongside them."
"The honor's ours," Steve replied, shaking his hand firmly. "Thank you for getting them out."
G.I. Robot clanked over, his optical sensors focusing on Steve. "CAPTAIN! GLAD TO SEE YOU MADE IT! I WAS STARTING TO WORRY I'D HAVE TO CARRY YOUR UNCONSCIOUS BODY OUT OF HERE!"
"Good to see you too, G.I.," Steve said with a grin. "How's everyone holding up?"
"READY TO KILL MORE NAZIS, SIR!"
Logan approached, supporting a wounded Easy Company soldier. "We got most everybody out, but this place is coming down fast. We need to move."
Another explosion shook the facility below them. The roof under their feet started cracking.
"Where exactly are we supposed to go?" Bucky asked, looking around at the mountains. "We're five miles behind enemy lines."
"And another ten miles back to Allied camp," Ted Knight said, checking his radio. "HYDRA's got patrols all through these mountains. On foot, with wounded, we're screwed."
That's when they saw it. A green glow in the night sky, getting brighter as it came down toward them.
"What the hell is that?" Peter asked, looking up.
The green light got closer and they could see it was a glowing green bubble with Alan Scott inside.
"About damn time, Scott!" Rock called out as the construct landed on the roof.
Alan climbed out, his ring glowing bright. He looked beat but focused. "Sorry I'm late. Had to clean up the enhanced soldiers down there."
His eyes landed on Wilhelm and he stopped talking mid-sentence. The golden-haired giant was easily seven feet tall and built like something out of mythology, making even Steve look normal-sized.
"Jesus Christ," Alan said, staring up at him. "You're huge."
Wilhelm looked down with that same gentle confusion he showed everyone. "I'm sorry, have we met? I'm Wilhelm. I can't seem to remember much before waking up here."
"Steve, where the hell did you find this guy?" Alan asked, still gawking. "He makes you look like you're regular sized."
"Long story," Steve said. "How many can your bubble carry?"
Alan shook his head, refocusing on the situation. "All of us. But we need to move fast. This place is about to blow."
Steve, Bucky, Peter, Azzuri, Wilhelm, G.I. Robot, Logan, Ted Grant, Ted Knight, Rock, Little Sure Shot, Bulldozer, Wildman, Four-Eyes, Canary, and Bogman all piled into the green bubble construct. It was really cramped with all of them inside.
"This feels solid," Peter said, touching the green energy wall.
"It is solid," Alan said, concentrating hard. "As long as I keep it that way."
"INITIATING TACTICAL DEPARTURE!" G.I. Robot announced unnecessarily as they lifted off.
Another explosion went off below them. The whole facility started collapsing, buildings falling in on themselves as Schmidt's self-destruct hit full swing.
"Hold on!" Alan said, and they shot up just as the roof collapsed into fire.
Steve looked down at the destruction. HYDRA's mountain base was gone, just burning wreckage now. Schmidt got away, but his weapons program was finished.
The bubble came down toward a clearing about five miles from the burning facility. From above, Steve could see hundreds of freed prisoners getting medical help, captured HYDRA vehicles in rows, and familiar faces moving through the crowd.
"There they are," Alan said, setting them down in the clearing.
As soon as they landed, the clearing erupted in cheers. Four hundred freed prisoners, soldiers from every Allied nation, started shouting and clapping as Steve and the others got out of the green bubble.
"Holy shit, they actually did it!" someone yelled.
"Captain America! Captain America!" the chant began to spread through the crowd.
But Steve only had eyes for one thing - Diana, Jay, and Jim running toward them through the crowd. They looked beat up but alive, and the relief on their faces said everything.
"Steve!" Diana called out, reaching them first. "By Zeus, I thought you were dead when that place started coming down."
"Same here," Steve said, pulling her into a quick hug. "How many did we lose?"
Jay's grin faded slightly. "Thirty-two didn't make it out. We got four hundred and twenty-three alive, but about sixty are in pretty bad shape. Some of them..." He shook his head. "HYDRA did things to people."
"We saw you guys in the green bubble," Jay added. "Alan looked like he was about to pass out keeping that thing together."
Jim walked over and punched Steve's arm. "Good to see you made it out, Cap. We were starting to worry when that whole place went up."
"We're all here," Steve said, then turned to his friends. "Diana, Jay, Jim - I want you to meet some people."
He gestured to the group behind him. "This is Bucky Barnes, my best friend since we were kids. Peter Parker and Ted Knight, good friends I made a few months back."
Ted Grant stepped forward. "Ted Grant. Most people call me Wildcat."
Logan stepped forward and extended his hand. "James Howlett. Most people call me Logan."
When Wilhelm emerged from the group, stepping into the light, a hush fell over the immediate area. The golden-haired giant stood nearly seven feet tall, his massive frame making even Steve look normal-sized. Soldiers nearby stopped talking and stared.
"Jesus," one of the freed prisoners muttered. "Look at the size of that guy."
"Who the hell is that?" another whispered.
Diana's warrior instincts immediately went on alert, but Steve quickly stepped forward.
"This is Wilhelm," Steve said, his voice carrying clearly. "He helped us get everyone out. He's one of the good guys."
Wilhelm looked around at all the staring faces with that same gentle confusion he showed everyone. "Hello," he said quietly, his deep voice carrying despite his soft tone. "I'm glad everyone made it out safely."
"Nice to meet you," Diana said, shaking his hand and immediately noting his careful, controlled grip.
"Same here," Logan said, then looked around at the freed prisoners. "Did any of you see a big blond guy with claws? Victor Creed? He's my brother."
"No," Rock said, shaking his head. "Wasn't anybody like that in our section."
Logan's face fell. "Damn. I was hoping maybe when you guys hit the facility, he might've gotten out too."
"HYDRA still has him?" Diana asked.
"Yeah," Logan said quietly. "They had us both, but they kept us separated. I kept hoping..."
"We held out," Ted Grant said, changing the subject. "All of us. Nine days and nobody broke."
"Felt like nine months," Bucky added, looking around at the other freed prisoners.
"You guys did good," Diana said. "But we couldn't have pulled this off without working together."
"That's the truth," Jay said. "None of us could've done this alone."
Steve looked at his team with obvious pride. "These people saved my life more times than I can count tonight. Diana's the toughest fighter I've ever seen. Jay's faster than anything you can imagine. Jim can control fire."
"You're making us sound like superheroes," Jim said.
"Holy shit, Steve," Bucky stared at them. "Where did you find these people?"
"They found me," Steve said. "And I'm lucky as hell they did."
That's when Amaya came sprinting through the crowd like a woman possessed. Her face was pure fury mixed with relief as she zeroed in on Azzuri.
The slap echoed across the entire clearing. Soldiers twenty feet away winced.
"You magnificent, stupid, reckless son of a bitch!" she yelled, then immediately threw her arms around his neck. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"
Azzuri dropped his mask and picked her up, spinning her around. "I'm okay. We're all okay."
The whole crowd started cheering and whistling. Soldiers were clapping and hollering like they were at a baseball game.
The whole crowd started cheering and whistling. Soldiers were clapping and hollering like they were at a baseball game.
"Well ain't that something," Bulldozer called out from where he was sitting on a captured HYDRA truck. "Look at the lovebirds."
"Shut up, Bulldozer," Rock said, but he was grinning too.
Steve looked around at all of them - his old friends, his new ones, hundreds of soldiers they'd pulled out of hell. "You know what? We actually did it."
"Course we did," Jay said. "We're a team."
"The best damn team," Alan added, his ring still glowing faintly from the effort of flying them all to safety.
Diana stood straighter, her voice carrying the wonder of someone still amazed by what mortals could accomplish. "We are heroes blessed by the gods themselves. Look what we achieved when we stood together - no force of evil could stand against us."
"So what now, Cap?" Peter asked. "Back to the bond shows?"
Steve looked at the burning wreckage in the distance, then at his friends, then at all the freed prisoners. "No. No more shows. We've got real work to do."
"Give me time."
Steve looked around at the organized chaos of their improvised camp. Diana's team had done incredible work. Not only had they evacuated all four hundred prisoners, but they'd also managed to capture a significant amount of HYDRA equipment. He counted at least a dozen half-tracks, several tanks, and more energy weapons than he could count.
"Damn, Diana," Steve said admiringly. "You guys didn't just rescue everyone, you robbed them blind."
"Your Colonel Phillips believes women cannot understand military strategy," Diana said, gesturing at the captured equipment with satisfaction. "Perhaps these weapons and vehicles will help him reconsider that assessment. We took what we could carry. Four hundred men freed, enemy equipment secured, and not a single casualty among those who fought beside me. I would say we have proven our worth on any battlefield."
Sergeant Rock approached with several other senior NCOs, all of them looking at Steve with obvious respect.
"Rogers," Rock said, extending his hand. "I gotta admit, when this whole thing started, I figured we were all dead men. But you pulled it off. All of us, home safe."
"We all pulled it off," Steve corrected, shaking his hand firmly. "Every one of us."
"Your friend here," Rock nodded toward Diana, "she fights like nothing I've ever seen. Cut through those HYDRA bastards like they were made of paper."
Diana straightened slightly, her warrior's pride evident. "The enemies of justice will always fall before those who fight with honor and purpose, Sergeant Rock."
"Yeah, well, whatever you want to call it," Rock grinned, "it saved our asses. Begging your pardon, ma'am."
"No offense taken," Diana replied with dignity. "I have heard far worse language on battlefields. What matters is that good men are returning home to their families."
Steve looked at his assembled friends, old and new, feeling the weight of what they'd accomplished together. "These people saved my life more times than I can count tonight. Diana's the toughest fighter I've ever seen. Jay's faster than anything you can imagine. Jim can control fire."
"You make us sound like legends from the old stories," Jim said with a slight smile.
"Perhaps because that is what we have become," Diana observed thoughtfully. "Heroes are not born from comfort and safety, but from choosing to stand against darkness when others cannot." She paused, a brief shadow crossing her features. "Though I must admit, I wish Mala could have been here to see this. She would have been invaluable in coordinating such a complex rescue operation."
"Speaking of expectations," Jay said, his usual smart-ass grin returning, "wait until people back home hear about this. Captain America and Wonder Woman, leading a team of heroes to victory against impossible odds."
"Wonder Woman?" Diana asked, tilting her head slightly at the unfamiliar title.
"That's what some of the guys have been calling you," Jay explained. "After watching you fight, after seeing what you can do... it fits."
Diana considered this for a moment. "I came to Man's World to prove that an Amazon could stand alongside any warrior, could serve justice as well as any champion. If this name honors that purpose, then I accept it with pride."
"Wonder Woman," Steve repeated, testing the sound of it. "Yeah, that definitely fits."
Steve stepped forward, raising his voice so it carried across the entire camp. "Listen up, everyone! We're moving out!"
Diana moved to stand beside him, her commanding presence immediately drawing attention from every corner of the camp. "All wounded are to be loaded into the captured vehicles first," she called out, her voice carrying the authority of someone born to command. "If you are able-bodied, help your brothers in arms. No man moves alone."
"That's right," Steve continued, his voice gaining strength as he looked out at the sea of freed prisoners. "British, American, French, Polish... tonight we're all one army. An army is unstoppable when every man works together."
"Each vehicle will carry mixed nationalities," Diana added, gesturing toward the captured HYDRA equipment. "Share your strength with those who need it. Share your hope with those who have lost it. We all go home together, or we do not go home at all."
Rock stepped forward, adding his voice to theirs. "You heard them! Get those wounded loaded up! Everyone else, grab what you can carry and form up on the vehicles!"
The response was immediate and overwhelming. Hundreds of men who had been broken by captivity suddenly moved with renewed purpose. British commandos helped French resistance fighters climb into half-tracks. American GIs shared their rations with Polish partisans. The barriers of nationality and language dissolved as they worked together toward a common goal.
"No more bond tours," Steve said firmly, his words carrying to Diana and his team. "We've got a war to fight. A real one."
He raised his voice again so the entire camp could hear him. "Let's get everyone home. And let's bring Colonel Phillips some new toys while we're at it."
The cheer that went up from four hundred throats could probably be heard for miles. But Steve didn't care about secrecy anymore. Let HYDRA hear them coming. Let Schmidt know that Captain America and his team were just getting started.
They loaded the wounded into the captured vehicles first, with healthier prisoners taking turns driving. Wilhelm proved invaluable during the loading process, his enormous strength allowing him to gently lift men who couldn't walk on their own. Soldiers who might have taken three or four people to move safely, Wilhelm could carry by himself with the careful tenderness of someone who understood his own power.
"Easy there, friend," Wilhelm said quietly to a wounded British soldier as he lifted him into a half-track. "You're safe now."
When they came to a captured HYDRA tank that had thrown a track, Wilhelm simply walked over and lifted the entire front end while other prisoners slid the track back into place. What would have taken a full repair crew and heavy equipment, he handled alone.
"Jesus Christ," one of the American GIs muttered, watching Wilhelm work. "How strong is that guy?"
But there was no time to dwell on the impossible things they'd witnessed. They had miles to cover before dawn, and HYDRA patrols were still out there somewhere in the darkness.
The convoy that formed was unlike anything the war had seen. American soldiers riding alongside British commandos, French resistance fighters sharing vehicles with Polish partisans, all of them armed with HYDRA technology that wouldn't be invented by conventional science for decades.
As they began the long journey back to Allied lines, Steve found himself riding in the lead half-track with Diana, Bucky, and Peter. Behind them, hundreds of freed prisoners sang songs from their home countries, the different languages and melodies blending into a celebration of freedom itself.
"So," Diana said, settling back against the side of the vehicle, "what did you think of your first real mission, Captain Rogers?"
Steve looked back at the convoy following them, at the faces of men who'd been given up for dead and were now going home to their families. He thought about Schmidt's escape, about the Red Skull's threats, about Mephisto's terrible prophecies. There would be other battles, darker enemies, and harder choices ahead.
But for now, they were all alive. They'd saved everyone. And for the first time since putting on the uniform, Steve Rogers truly felt like Captain America.
"I think," Steve said with a smile, "this is exactly what I was meant to do."
—
U.S. CAMP, PHILLIPS' TENT – NOVEMBER 10TH 1943
Colonel Phillips stood at his window, staring out at the Italian countryside with the thousand-yard stare of a man who'd sent too many boys to die. Behind him, a young corporal sat at a typewriter, fingers poised over the keys.
"Senator Brandt," Phillips dictated, his voice carrying the weight of every casualty report he'd ever signed. "I regret to report that Captain Steven G. Rogers went missing behind enemy lines on the third. Aerial reconnaissance has proven unfruitful. As a result, I must declare Captain Rogers killed in action. Period."
The corporal's typing stopped. Phillips turned to see Peggy Carter standing in the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed with exhaustion and grief. She looked like she hadn't slept in days.
"The last surveillance flight is back," she said quietly, stepping into the tent. She laid down a series of aerial photographs on Phillips' desk—or what was left of the HYDRA facility. The images showed nothing but smoking craters and twisted metal. "No sign of activity."
Phillips studied the photos for a long moment, then looked up at the corporal. "Go get a cup of coffee, Corporal."
"Yes, sir," the young man replied, quickly gathering his things and heading for the exit.
Once they were alone, Phillips turned his full attention to Peggy, his expression hardening. "I can't touch Stark. He's rich and he's the Army's number one weapon contractor. You are neither one."
"With respect, sir," Peggy replied, her chin lifting with defiance, "I don't regret my actions. And I don't think Captain Rogers did, either."
Phillips' face flushed red. "What makes you think I give a damn about your opinions?" His voice rose with each word. "I took a chance with you, Agent Carter. And now America's golden boy and a lot of other good men are dead because you had a crush."
"It wasn't that," Peggy said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I had faith."
"Well, I hope that's a big comfort to you when they shut this division down," Phillips snapped. But before he could continue his tirade, a commotion erupted outside the tent. Voices, running footsteps, the sound of vehicles. "What the hell's going on out there?"
Phillips moved to the window, Peggy beside him. What they saw made no sense at first—soldiers running toward the camp entrance, abandoning their duties, their faces lit with excitement.
"What in God's name..." Phillips muttered.
That's when Steve Trevor pushed through the tent flaps, his pilot's uniform wrinkled and travel-worn. Behind him came Mala and Orion, both looking distinctly uncomfortable in the military setting.
"Colonel Phillips," Trevor said, straightening to attention. "Captain Steven Trevor reporting back from reconnaissance mission, sir."
Phillips whirled around, his anger finding a new target. "Trevor! Where the hell have you been? And what are these civilians doing in my command tent?" His gaze swept over Mala and Orion with obvious distaste. "I specifically ordered them removed from this area."
"Sir, they provided crucial intelligence—" Trevor began.
"I don't care if they personally handed me Hitler's head on a platter!" Phillips roared. "I will not have unauthorized personnel wandering around my camp like they own the place!"
Orion stepped forward, his diplomatic training evident in his calm demeanor. "Colonel, I understand your frustration, but perhaps if you allowed us to explain—"
"Explain?" Phillips' voice dripped with sarcasm. "The only explanation I want is why two foreign nationals think they can waltz into a classified military operation and give orders to my personnel!"
Mala's eyes flashed dangerously. "We saved your pilot's life, Colonel. Twice. If you consider that interference..."
"What I consider it is insubordination!" Phillips shot back. "This is a military operation, not some European tea party where everyone gets a voice!"
The tent fell silent for a moment, the tension thick enough to cut. Then Orion spoke, his voice carrying an authority that made even Phillips pause.
"Colonel Phillips, I am Prince Orion of Atlantis. This woman is Mala of Themyscira, personal guard to royalty. We have traveled further than you can imagine and risked more than you know to aid in your war effort." His tone remained diplomatic, but steel ran through every word. "We deserve, at minimum, basic courtesy."
Phillips stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Prince of what now? Lady, are you listening to this? These people are delusional!"
"I assure you, Colonel," Mala said coldly, her hand moving instinctively toward where her sword would normally rest, "we are quite real. As are the threats your world faces."
Before Phillips could respond, Jay Garrick suddenly appeared in the tent entrance, moving at normal speed for once. He was holding what appeared to be an entire cake, which he was eating with his hands.
"Hey, has anyone seen my—oh, there you are!" Jay said around a mouthful of chocolate cake. "Colonel Phillips, sir." He gave a casual salute with his free hand.
Everyone stared at him. Phillips' mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
"Garrick," Phillips managed finally. "Where the hell have you been? And why are you eating a cake?"
"Oh, this?" Jay looked down at the dessert in his hands. "I got hungry on the way back. And as for where I've been..." He grinned, frosting smeared on his chin. "Same place as everyone else. Austria."
"Austria?" Peggy stepped forward. "Jay, what are you talking about?"
"The mission, of course." Jay took another bite of cake, completely oblivious to the stunned silence around him. "We've been back for a while now. Steve's just getting everyone organized outside. You should see the guys we brought back—hundreds of them. Oh, and we captured a bunch of HYDRA equipment too."
Phillips felt the blood drain from his face. "Rogers is... Steve Rogers is alive?"
"Alive?" Jay laughed. "He's more than alive. He's a goddamn hero. You should have seen him in action, Colonel. Pure Captain America, no show business nonsense." He paused, studying Phillips' expression. "Wait, you didn't know we were back?"
Before anyone could answer, the commotion outside intensified. Cheering, shouting, the sound of vehicles rolling into camp.
"Look who it is!" someone yelled from outside.
Phillips pushed past everyone and burst out of his tent, Peggy close behind. What he saw defied everything he thought he knew about military reality.